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"He doesn't look that big when he's warming up with his sweats on," Lies said, "but when he strips down to his singlet, you can see that twinkle in their eyes is gone. They're not quite as anxious to get out there anymore."

Finney, who is ranked No. 1 in his weight class, will wrestle this weekend at the Class 4A regional at Pratt.

In nearly 60 matches the past two seasons, Finney has lost once. It's the lone blemish on his resume, coming in last year's Class 4A title match against an opponent he had defeated twice before.

"I just tried to put it behind me," Finney said. "My dad always told me, 'It's just a game. It's just a match. You'll get them next time.' "

Wrestling is hereditary for Finney. His grandfather wrestled, as did his father and cousin, who both won state championships at Clearwater.

Growing up under the tutelage of his father, Finney became a fundamentally-sound wrestler.

But when Finney entered middle school, his father passed away. Not only did Finney lose his father, but also his role model.

So he set out to match his father's achievement — winning two state championships. It just added to the disappointment after the loss last season.

There appears to be no storybook ending to conclude Finney's career, but he suggests it depends on the viewpoint.

"I don't think I have to win to define me," Finney said. "Anybody that has seen me wrestle or anybody that knows me, knows I don't have to win. It'd be nice to go out with a bang, but it wouldn't define me."

While Finney won't be able to equal his father's total, he would like to make him proud, even if he is not there in the physical sense.